Sheet handling mechanism



June 2, 1931.

A. M. ZUCKERMAN 1,808,514 SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM Filed Aug. 5, 19.25 E'Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR June 1931- A. M. ZUCKERMAN 1,808,514

SHEET HANDLING MECHANI SM Filed Aug. 5, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ping it on the pile.

' tail of the preceding sheet, the sheets must Patented Jae-2, 1931 UNITED STATES PATENT orl-"ica ADOLPH I. ZUOKERMAN, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR TO B. HOE & 00., INQ, OF I YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION 01 NEW YORK SHEET HANDLING MECHANISM Application filed August 5, 1925. Serial No. 48,227.

This invention relates to certain improvements in mechanism for handling webs of varying widthsand sheets cut therefrom.

The usual method of handling webs of varying widths and the sheets cut therefrom in a flat or pile delivery is to run a web, after printing, through a pair of forwarding rolls to and through a pair of cutting cylinders by which a sheet is cut from the web. This sheet is then taken at its front or leading edge by grippers which are carried on shafts secured to chains, the grippers taking the sheet to a position above the pile and drop- This mechanism for handling sheets of varying widths has certain disadvantages. In order to allow the grippers to act without interfering with the be a certain distance apart. To get this space between the sheets it is necessary to speed up the sheets, after they are cut, or to provide a collecting mechanism where the product is of such character that it can be collected, this collectin providing the space between the collected s eets. Furthermore, this method of handling sheets requires a run of considerable length between the press and the pile, thereby increasing the danger of smutting the sheets and, as the sheets have to'be out before they are received by the grippers,

the sheets are not always under positive control and trouble may be experienced owing to the chokes in the run of the sheets. This way of handling the sheetsby their front edges requires, in addition, a considerable amount of expensive mechanism in order to get the sheets into the position where they can be taken by the grippers.

It is the especial object of the resent invention to provide a mechanism w ereby the web is always under positive control of the grippers, as are the sheets cut therefrom, these grippers being .arranged to take the -web by its side edges before it is cut and to kee it under-control until it is released for de 'very.

It is a further object of the invention to produce a construction for delivering sheets on a pile which shall simplify the mechanism necessary, thereby reducing the cost of construction of the machine and providing a construction by which the run of the product from the press to delivery, is shortened so as to reduce the danger of smutting.

With these and other objects not specifically referred to, the invention consists in cer tain novel parts, arrangements and combinations which will be described in connection with the accompanying drawings and the novel features pointed out in the claims hereunto annexed.

Referring to these drawings Figure 1 is a diagrammatic, partly broken away, side view of so much of a delive mechanism as is necessary for anunderstan ing of the invention;

Figure 2 is an enlarged, crosssectional view, the section being taken on line AA of Figure 1 looking inthe direction of the arrow;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view, part1 broken away, of the cutting cylinders; and

Figure 4 is a plan view of one side of the construction shown in Figure 2, the view being taken looking in the direction of arrow 4 of that figure.

Referring now to these drawings in detail, the machine selected to illustrate. the

invention is the delivery end of a printing press, not shown, in which the sheets are delivered fiatwise in a pile. It will be understood that the sheets may be delivered 'flatwise to a final delivery which is not a pile and the invention is, therefore, not to be restricted to such piling of the sheets.

.In the particular construction shown, the parts are supported in suitable framin a, b, which may be of any usual or desire con-- figuration. The web marked 1 may be led dlrectly from the press between a pair of forwarding rolls 2, 3, and over to guides 4 where the side edges of the web are seized by grippers indicated generally by numeral 5 and hereinafter more specifically referred to. These grippers are carried on gripper shafts 6 extending across the machine and mounted at each end in blocks 8 which form a part of. certain of the links of chains 7.

driven in any 'suitable manner. As shown, the chains at one end pass over sprockets 9 i carried on a driving shaft 10 which extends tension of the chains may be readilfyl 1 chains are provided, these supports being Y I are provided whereby the shown in'the form of bars 13, 14, over which I the chains pass and a bar 15 under which they pass. Wit this construction the chains are suitably supported and guided in the machine. V j

In accordance with the invention, means rippers are opened to take the web by its si e edges and closed to forward the web, a sheet being cut from the web while under control of the grippers,

grippers to release the cut sheet and means are also provided to open the after it has reached the delivery point. While' this means maybe somewhat varied, in the particular construction shown the grippers are adjustable sidewise on the shafts so that they can handle webs and sheets of widely varying widths. The grippers are opened by means of a cam slidable widthwise of the shaft and rod so grippers.

that it can be positioned to open the grippers no matter at what point on the shaft they may be. The grippers are closed by a spring 16', being opened against the spring by the cam. The grippers are opened to release the sheet at the proper point, by means of,a cam 18 supported on and slidable widthwise of a rod 19. Y In-machines embodying the invention i the best form, a sheet will be cut from the web and this cutting operation will be effect-- ed while the sheet is under control .of the While the particular a cutting mechanism may vary, the cutting mechanism will be such that the grippers can ass throu h the cutting mechanism so that t ey will a ways have control of the sheet. While the particular cutting mechanism may, of course, be varied to some extent, in the particular construction shown there are provided a pair of cutting cylinders 21, 22, mounted on shafts 23,24, supported in pillow'blocks 23',"24'. In the particular construction illustrated, these with cutting to webs 26 cuttingcylinders are provided knives 25, 26, suitably secured by means of bolts 26", these knives operating toproduce a shear out. It

' frames of the machine.

16 which is supported on' the shaft 10 and on a rod 17 this cam being,

will be understood, of course, that any other suitable or desirable cutting mechanism may be substituted for this described. In order that the grippers may pass through the cylinders while et retaining their grip on the sheets, the cy 1nders are cut out, as shown in Figure 3, at each end, leavin spaces indicated by the numerals 100, 101 w ich permit free passage of the grippers and the shafts.

The cut sheets are carried by the grippers to the final delivery which, in the present instance, is a pile delivery, the delivery board of which is marked 20, the grippers'being opened by the cam 18 so as to drop the sheet on this delivery board.

The tail of the sheet'is controlled so that it is out of the way of a following sheet. While various constructions may be used for effecting this, there is, as shown, a striker bar 27 supported in a holder 28 which rotates on-a shaft 29 suitably supported in the side If desired, addi-. tional strikers in the form of fingers 30 carried in arms 30' on a rock shaft 31 may be provided for. striking down, the sheet so as to free it from the gr ppers. The rock shaft 31 is operated to raise and lower the strikers by meansof an arm 102 carrying-a forked rod 103 provided with a'cam roll 104 which ifs operated by a cam' 32 on the shaft 29, be-

ore sheetis cleared from the grip ersand it is struck down out of thi way 0 or following sheet.

In machines embed ing-the invention in its best form, the sheets are front registered a ainst a stop 33 carried on a shaft 34 suita ly supported in the machine frames. The tail end of the sheet is jogged or pushed against this front stop by means of a jogger 35 carried on a shaft 36 suit-ably supported in the side frames of the machine, which is operated bya cam, not shown, on a cam shaft 37 by means of an arm 39 and a forked rod 38 indicated by broken line in Figure 1.

In the best construction, thesheets will also be sid'e jotgged, that is, evening devices are employed or evening up the sheets sidewise of the pile and these oggers are arran so that they can be used for different wi th sheets. While the specific construction of these evening devices may be somewhatvaried, in the particular construction illus-.

tratedthere is provided, on the shaft 36 before. referred to, lever arm 40, into which is connected a rod 41. The other end of this rod is connected toa lever arm 42 carried'on a rock shaft 43 (see Fig. 2), this shaft 43 extending lengthwise ofthe machine. This shaft 43 has secured thereto a second lever arm 44 which works between a pair of collars 45, 46 on a sleeve 49. The sleeve has a stem 50 formed with a side jogger 51. The collar-45 is, as shown, a split collar provided with a clamping devlce such referred to. With this construction the a succeeding v are provided against which the arm 44 is 7 the grippers. As illustrated, this mechanismas a bolt 45 by'which the collar may be adjusted at any point of the machine width wise, as desirable. This sleeve, it will be observed, is oscillated by the lever arm 44 workingbetween the collars 45, 46 and, in the best construction, coiled springs 47, 48,

oscillated. The sleeve is supported in any suitable manner, as in a bearing 110 in one of the side frames before referred to, and a bearing 111 carried by a bracket arm 112 suitably secured as at 113 to the side frames before referred to.

The other side of the machine is also provided with a similar jogger 58 and, in the best construction, the joggers are arranged in pairs, being marked 51a, 58a. These joggers are mounted to operate simultaneously.

In the particular construction shown for doing this, the rock shaft 43 is provided with a lever arm 52 which, through a rod 53, connects with a lever arm 54 on the other side of the machine, this arm 54 being carried on a shaft 54' provided with a gear 55. This gear 55 meshes with a gear 56 on a rock shaft 57. The operation of the parts is thus simultaneous and the sheets are piled or evened along their sides.

The grippin mechanism by which the side edges of the we is taken may be varied widely in construction. That shown, however, is a convenient one and will be the same for all includes a holder 61 having an extension 62. This holder is, as shown, split and is clamped on the shaft 6, before referred to, by a bolt 62', by loosening which the holder may have a sliding movement on the shaft, being keyed to the shaft by a key or feather 63. This holder is provided with another extension 64 which carries a stud 65 on which the movable gripper finger 66 is pivoted. One end of the pivoted finger 66 extends under the extension 62 of the holder 61 and is normally pressed in a gripping relation therewith byv the spring 16', before referred to. The oppo site end of the ivoted gripper finger carries a cam roll 68w ich engages thecams 16, 18, before referred to, by which the grippers are opened.

With the construction shown and described mechanism has been provided for handling webs or sheets 'of widely varying width, one in which a great deal of mec'hanism may be omitted thereby providing a simla and consequently cheap structure, and one m which the web and the sheet is under positive control of the rippers until released for final delivery. ith this construction no spacing is necessary, the sheets following each other in regular succession thereby speeding up the delivery and, as the sheets are always positively controlled by the grippers, there is no danger of chokes or missed sheets.

While the invention has been shown and deshafts widthwise of the sheet invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is: 1. In a delivery, the combination of means for forwarding a web, from which a sheet is to be cut, sheet forwardmg grippers arranged to take the web by its side edges, means for adjusting the rippers widthwise of the sheet path to take s eets of different widths, a receiver to which the cut sheet is forwarded by the grippers, and means for clearing the tail of a sheet from the head of a succeeding sheet.

2. In a delivery, the combination of means forforwarding'a web from which a sheet is to be cut, sheet forwarding grippers arranged to take the web by its side edges, means for adjusting the grippers widthwise of the sheet path to take sheets of different widths, a receiver to which the cut sheet is forwarded 3. In a delivery, the combination of means for forwarding a web from which a sheet ,is

v to be cut, sheet forwarding grippers arranged to take the web by its si e edges, means for adjusting the grippers widthwise of the sheet path to take sheets of different widths, a receiver to which the cut sheet is forwarded by the grippers, means for clearing the'tail of a sheet from the head of a succeeding sheet, and

means for freeing the body of the sheet from the grippers.

4. In a delivery, the combination of means for forwarding a web from which a sheet is to be cut, a guide closely adjacent the forwarding means, sheet taking grippers ar-' ranged to take the Web by its side edges, travelling supports for the grippers, means for opening the grippers to take the web, a receiver, means for opening the grippers to deliver the sheet, and means for adjusting the grippers and the grippler controlling mechanism independent of t e su ports widthwise of the sheet path to take s eets of different widths. 4

5. In a delivery,-the combination of a travelling gripper carrier, shafts on the carrier, gri pers slidable on the shafts widthwise of t e sheet path and arranged to take a web from which a sheet is to be cut by its side edges, cam shafts, and cams slidable on the path for openmg the grippers.

6. In a delivery, the combination of a pair of carrier chains blocks carried by the chains, shafts mounted in the blocks, grippers clam ed on the shafts and slidable thereon widt wise of the sheet path and arranged to take a web from which a sheet is to be out by its side edges, cam shafts, and cams adpath for opening the grippers.

7. In a delivery, the combination of a travelling gripper carrier, shafts on the carrier, grippers slidable on the shafts widthwise of the sheet path and arranged to take a web 5 from which a sheet is to be cut by its side edges, cam shafts, cams slidable on the shaft widthwise of the sheet path for o ening the grippers, a striker finger for stri 'ng down the tail'of a sheet, and striker fingers for striking the body of a sheet and freeing it from the ippers as it is delivered.

8. In a elrvery, the combination of means for forwarding a web, a web guide closely adjacent the forwarding means, a travelling gripper carrier extending over the guide, shafts on the carrier, grippers slidable on the shafts widthwise of the web path and arranged to take a web from which a sheet is to be cut by its side edges from the guide, cam

shafts, and cams slidable on the shaft widthwise of the sheet path for opening the grippers. e

9. In a delivery, the combination :of a

, travelling gripper carrier, transverse supports on the carrier, grippers slidable on the support widthwise of the sheet path independently of the carrier and arranged to take a web from which a sheet is to be cut by its side edges, cam supports, cams slidable on the supports widthwise of the sheet path for opening the grippers, and a receiver for receiving the sheet.

10. In a delivery, the combination of a pair of chains, shafts supported between the chains, grippers slidable on the shafts widthwise of the sheet path independently of the chains and arranged to take a web from which a sheet is to be cut by its side edges, cam

shafts, cams slidable on the shafts widthwise 40 of the sheet path for opening the grippers,

and a receiver for receiving the sheet.

11. In a sheet delivery, a travelling gripper carrier, supports on the carrier, gri pers secured to the supports and arrange to seize 4 a web from which a sheet is to be cut by its side edges, and means for adjusting the position of the gri pers relatively to the carrier and transverse y to the path of the sheet.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set m hand.

' y ADOLPH M. ZUCKERMAN. 

